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 Physical activity provides brain benefits As reported in AARP,* a UK study finds that older adults who walk almost 10,000 steps daily were 50% less likely to develop dementia – 50%! Even seniors who walked up to just 3,800 steps daily saw a 25% reduction in risk for dementia. The study, published in JAMA Neurology, titled Association of Daily Step Count and Intensity With Incident Dementia in 78 430 Adults Living in the UK, adds to the ever-growing evidence that physical activity has tremendous benefits for the brain as well as for the body. More steps or a faster pace may also offer brain benefits Not everyone, especially seniors, can achieve close to 10,000 steps per day, so it is good news that the study discovered walking at a faster pace (sometimes called “power walking”) resulted in benefits “above and beyond” the total number of steps achieved. In fact, another study found that even short bursts of moderate to intense activity just six or seven minutes a day can benefit memory and mental processes.** Let’s get moving If this sounds intimidating, don’t be discouraged, because every little step counts. Here are some tips to get you started:
*Walking 9,800 Steps a Day May Cut Dementia Risk in Half, AARP **Exploring the associations of daily movement behaviours and mid-life cognition: a compositional analysis of the 1970 British Cohort Study, Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health Did you know that Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey? So we know a thing or two about helping seniors “age in place” to avoid hospitalization and nursing homes, and also what services people need to recover from illness and surgery at home. We suggest that you learn more about our home health care services and make a plan to age at home before you have a health emergency. Medicare and supplemental insurance often do not cover all the end-of-life care our hospice patients and caregivers need. If you would like to help, please call 1-800-WE VISIT (1-800-938-4748) or visit our Donation page. The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Somerset, and Passaic Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence. © All content on The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey's website, including blog posts, may be reproduced only if attributed to our organization with a link to vnannj.org.
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Volunteering is Good For Your Health4/18/2023  National Volunteer Week in April National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 to thank those whose acts of kindness improve their communities, highlight the benefits of volunteering, and encourage others to volunteer. No matter, if you call it “paying it forward, a thousand points of light, or random acts of kindness,” helping others, is proven to benefit the volunteer as well as the recipient. Volunteering can help you make friends, learn new skills, boost your social skills, and keep you mentally stimulated. While volunteering is good for all ages, it provides profound benefits for seniors. Nothing relieves stress better than connecting with other people. Researchers have discovered that the more we give, the happier we feel. And studies have shown that older volunteers walk more, cope with tasks more easily, have better thinking skills, have lower blood pressure, and a reduced risk of heart disease. Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) volunteer opportunities: • Time to Care: Your voice is needed. Make calls to those in your community who are ill or disabled, confined to home, and in need of a comforting voice. • House Call For Groceries: Volunteers provide shopping assistance to homebound residents. This rewarding activity is ideal for active adults, students, families, and community groups. • Hospice Volunteering: Volunteering to deliver comfort and companionship to patients and their families can be extremely rewarding. • Donate: Medicare and supplemental insurance often do not cover all that patients and caregivers need. There are many ways to help. For more information please visit our donation page here: vnannj.org/donate or call the VNA Foundation at 973-451-4148. • Friendly Visitors: This important volunteer opportunity matches volunteers with a VNA client to visit on a flexible schedule, providing socialization that is a much-needed break from the isolation that often comes from living alone. • Juniors Helping Seniors: Similar to “Friendly Visitors” but specially geared to high school students, this program provides a safe and rewarding volunteer opportunity in Morris County that is ideal for gaining life lessons, improving communication skills, and fulfilling volunteer activities for college applications (the consensus of college recruiters is the ideal volunteer hours for a college application is between 50 to 200 hours). Did you know that Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey? So we know a thing or two about helping seniors “age in place” to avoid hospitalization and nursing homes, and also what services people need to recover from illness and surgery at home. We suggest that you learn more about our home health care services and make a plan to age at home before you have a health emergency. The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Somerset, and Passaic Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence. © All content on The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey's website, including blog posts, may be reproduced only if attributed to our organization with a link to vnannj.org.
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Hospice Care is Comfort Care4/11/2023 
Hospice care is comfort care that can make a huge difference in the quality of life for the patient, caregivers, and other family members. Too often, hospice care is not sought until a patient and their caregivers have endured much suffering, stress, and hardship. While it is true that hospice requires a specific diagnosis to end curative treatment, patients will occasionally even transition back to standard medical care based on changes in their condition. Families need to consult with their physicians and medical professionals like Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) for advice on when hospice care may be the most helpful. This article in AARP presents one specific case that conveys the benefits of early hospice care: How Hospice Helped My Family. VNA provides seamless services VNA's full spectrum of home health care services includes in-home hospice care for residents and communities of Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties, New Jersey. Visiting nurses, home health aides, therapists, medical social workers, in-home and inpatient hospice, and respite care for overwhelmed caregivers are available. Additionally, select grant-funded services are available to individuals in Somerset and Passaic Counties.* *Grant services are made possible through funds received from the Morris County and Sussex County Boards of County Commissioners and the New Jersey Department of Human Services. Eligibility requirements may apply. Did you know that Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey? So we know a thing or two about helping seniors “age in place” to avoid hospitalization and nursing homes, and also what services people need to recover from illness and surgery at home. We suggest that you learn more about our home health care services and make a plan to age at home before you have a health emergency. Medicare and supplemental insurance often do not cover all the end-of-life care our hospice patients and caregivers need. If you would like to help, please call 1-800-WE VISIT (1-800-938-4748) or visit our Donation page. The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Somerset, and Passaic Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence. © All content on The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey's website, including blog posts, may be reproduced only if attributed to our organization with a link to vnannj.org.
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 Stomach Symptoms You Should Not Ignore As age progresses we may become accustomed to changes in our bodies. After all, irregularity and stomach discomfort are often signs of aging. While this is sometimes true, an excellent article by Michelle Crouch, AARP, titled 10 Stomach Symptoms You Should Never Ignore points out that stomach discomfort may also be a sign of something more serious. Following is a quick synopsis. Click the linked article for more details. Stomach issues may be an early sign of COVID A number of stomach problems are on the rise since the occurrence of COVID-19. Diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms can be among the first signs of COVID-19 infection, appearing before more well-known symptoms such as cough or fever. Pay attention to stomach issues Frequent irregularity, unexplained weight loss, recurring heartburn or gas pains, and blood in bowel movements (among other stomach problems) may be signs of chronic conditions or something more serious, like colon cancer. Don’t wait to see your doctor Many temporary or chronic conditions indicated by stomach problems are easily managed with medication and diet changes, and more serious conditions like colon cancer are always more treatable when caught early. Did you know that Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is the longest-serving VNA in the state of New Jersey? So we know a thing or two about helping seniors “age in place” to avoid hospitalization and nursing homes, and also what services people need to recover from illness and surgery at home. We suggest that you learn more about our home health care services and make a plan to age at home before you have a health emergency. Medicare and supplemental insurance often do not cover all the end-of-life care our hospice patients and caregivers need. If you would like to help, please call 1-800-WE VISIT (1-800-938-4748) or visit our Donation page. The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a leading provider of comprehensive home health care services in Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Somerset, and Passaic Counties in Northern New Jersey. Established in 1898, generations have known that just one call to VNA opens the door to quality, patient-centered home health care solutions that allow patients to remain in the comfort of their homes with dignity, health, and independence. © All content on The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey's website, including blog posts, may be reproduced only if attributed to our organization with a link to vnannj.org.
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